Self-locking box



Oct. 2, 1928.

H. D. MORTON SELF LOCKING BOX Original Filed Nov. 17, 1925 Patented Get. 2, 19 28.

rrsn 'ir i am * were HARRY D. MORTON, or nnw Yoaz, NJ'Y.

SELF-LOCKING BOX.

Application filed November 1'7, 1925, Serial No. 69,581. 'Renewed January 16,1928.-

'My invention has for its principal object the provision of such a box wherein, when the body and cover are pressed together-,a locking is effected which renders said box tamperproof,

In my application Serial No. 719,764 filed June 13, 1924, I disclose a three-piece boxlocking device. In-tlie present application I show a box provided with'si'n plilied and less expensive lockingmeaiis which may be more easily installed and which afford protection against theft of the contents of the box.

In the following specification Idesci'ibe one form of self-locking box made in accordance with my present invention. but it willbe uii derstood that various nlOtllflfidtlonS' and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention and without exceedingthe scope of my claims.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which I show portions of a self-locking box embodying my invention in theform and manner at present preferred by me, and in which Fig.1 is a plan view of a portion of a corner of such a box attached to which isa fe male lockii g'meniber; Fig. 2 shows a portion of said 'boxcorner in section and said female locking member inelevation; Fig. 3 shows in section-on line 33 of Fig. 1 a portion of a telescopic box cover and box body permanently coupled together -by saidl female locking I member and a coactinginale locking member,

attached to said box coversaid locking members being shown partly. in section and partly in elevation; Fig. 4 shows a plan View of a male locking member adapted to'be clinched to the cover of a box and to co'act with the aforesaid female locking member.

throughout thedrawings.

Like,referenc-echaract'ers indicate like parts Referring, to the; drawings, 1 represents aportion of the body of a box attached to which is female locking member 2, provided with prongs 8, 3, 3", etc., which prongs are adapted to pass through perforations f'ormed'in the box body and to be clinched on the inner side thereof. In order toadd strength and rigid ity to the female locking member 2,1 may provide the same with one or more downwardly bent edges, such as 4. Female locking'member 52 is provided with an aperture 5, surrounded by a wall 6, preferably slotted to form segments 7, 7 7 b and 7 whereby resilionce is imparted-to said wall. Said locking member 2 is still further strengthened and the box cover.

locking position thereofiwith theflcoacting V male locking meinber is brought close to. the

box cover by first-downwardly pressing the metal of which memberQ isformed to produce acup-shaped portion 8', 'andthen upwardly pressing the portion forn' ing wall'tLw Male,

locking ne'inber 9' is provided with prongs l 0,i

'10? and 10,,which are adapted to. pass through perforations formed in' box cover 1 l,and to, be clinched on the inner side of said cover insuch a position as to result ini'registration of the 7 two locking members whenthe box body and cover are brought into telescopic relation. An

aperture 12 is formed in box cover 11, through which aperture the shank portion of male locking member 9 prO ects to permit oftheeiigagement thereof with the femalelocking member- Formed inthe end of such shank portion is flange 13, shown one-half-in section edge of this flange is preferably turnedupand one-half in elevation in Fig. 3. The outer wardly to'forin a re-entrant angle, whilethe inner edges of segments 7, Wand 7 Q of Wall 6 n female locking memberQ, are turned inwardly and slightly downwardly. Thus,

wardly by the pressure of; flange 13 of the male locking member. I Further preSsurecar 'ries said flange through aperture 5,'wh ere-r upon these 'resilient segments spring back into place, surrounding flange 13,;overlap-r ping the edge thereofaiid efiectually pie. venting subsequent separation ofthe locking therefore, of thebox body and members, and,

piece, I am enabled tohgreatly siniplifyits By forminglmale locking member 9 in one manufacture and the operationsofinstalling r it upon the ,box cover This unitary construc tion also possesses the advantage. of preventing thecontents of therbox being damaged by entrance thereto of water, dust, etc. By con f structing the female lockingmeinber in the manner shown in the drawings, 1 am enabled the box body and to the box 'cover,thus permitting of the use of a short shank in the maleloclring member and tliereby'adding to its strength and reducing the amount ofmetal required inits manufacture and the difliculty of "drawing the shank and'inner flange portions thereof. '1'

v On account of their lightweight and relatively 10w cost,cardboard'boxes are extento bring the point of lockingclose to the top of I to install a locking device at each of the four.

fice'; while on still smaller boxes, such as open them and abstract their contents without leaving evidence of such tampering. By

my invention, the box body and box c'over are so firmly locked together that they can not be separated except by mutilation so ex- V tensive as to amount'to practical destructlon of thebox, which becomes at once 'apparc'mt. On boxes oi relatively large size, l preteif corners. On smaller boxes, two locking dev1ces at dlagonally opposite corners may sutare employedin the shipment ofjewelry and the like, the female locking member may be attached toaopposite walls of the box body completely span its width. The form and'construction offmy present lock ng device andthe locatlon thereof within the box render it practically immune'trom tampering by anyimplement which might be applied thereto. My invention has the further advantage of strengthening the inherently weal;

walls of a cardboard box body, thereby adding 'to the value of such boxes for shipping puroses.

What I claim as-new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. A box comprising a'body and a cover constructed and arranged to be placed in teleand having aportion which spans two edges 7 that when said body and cover members are scopic relation, a hollow unitary member at-v tached to the top of said cover, projectinp' therethrough and clinched thereto, and means attached to twoadjacent walls of said body,

1 thereof and a part of the intervening space 'therebet-ween, and coac'ting with said unitary member to eiifect a permanent locking of said body and cover.

2; box comprising a 'body'and a cover constructed and arranged to be placed in telescopic relation, a'unitary member having a flanged shank end and attached to the top of 7 said cover by prongs extending; therethrough,

and means clinchedto twoad jacent walls of said body and having a: portion which spans two edges thereof and a part of the -1ntervening space-therebetwcen and coactmp; with said flanged end to effect a permanent locking, of

said body and cover.

' therebetween.

3. A box body having clinched" to two of its adjacent walls member, some portion of which spanstwo of said walls and a part of the intervening space therebetween and provided with an aperture surrounded by a resilient wall and a box cover having clinched thereto an annular unitary member with an inwardly projecting portion'constructed and H arranged to enter said aperture and to coact with said resilient wall to eliect a permanent locking of said box body and box cover when the same are brought into telescopic relation.

4. A self-locking telescopic box comprising p a body member and a cover member, unitary locking means attached to the't'op of the cover member and pro ectmg lnwardly therefrom,

and means attached to two adj acentwalls of the body member for relnforcing the said' body member and for coacting w1th said unitary locking member to permanently couple said body and cover members. i

5; A self-locking telescopic box comprising a body member and a cover member, unitary locking means projecting inwardlyfrom' the cover member and provided with prongs cxten'dngthrough the top of said cover memher and clinched thereto, and means provided with prongsoextending through .twowalls of said body member and clinched thereto reinl orclng said body and coacting with said unitar lockin means to aermanenth cou lea: or J said body and cover members. 7 y

6. in a self-locking box, a cover member provided with a unitary locking element projccting through the top thereof and clinched thereto and a body member provided with a locking element clinched to two adjacent walls thereof and characterized by the'fact 7. In a box, a cover member,a

ment'mounted upon said body member and (reacting with said unitary locking-element to permanently 'couple'said-cover and said body upon the bringing of the same into telescopic relation and the applying of pressure HARRY QMoRToN.

unitary locle me element mounted upon thetop thereof, a body member, and a corner remtlo'rcing ele- 

